𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔𝟑.𝟏: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨’𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏

It hurts.

It’s scary.

It’s tough.

Perhaps it’s my just deserts for underestimating the life in a different world. Now, I am suffering in severe pain.

This pain is not just physical.

My heart hurts too.

Both my body and mind are screaming.

ㅤ

My body hurts because I was buried under rubble when the church was destroyed by the dragon’s strike.

Yet, I am the lucky one.

The others didn’t get trapped under rubble. They were squashed into mincemeat by the dragon’s claw or palm.

The fear I felt when the dragon’s claw passed right by my nose is something I’ll probably never forget.

If I had been just one step out of position, I would have met the same fate as the others.

ㅤ

As for the pain in my heart, it’s fear and guilt.

Fear is self-evident.

Even now, I can’t bear the terror of the dragon and the Demon Lord, as well as the monsters that look like Honjo-san, who are near me.

ㅤ

But, against such monsters, there was something I could do.

There was something that the powerless me could do to help everyone.

Appraisal.

If only I could accurately report the statuses of the Demon Lord and dragon.

Above all, if I could have reported the appraisal results of the monster that looks like Honjo-san, the Automata, Instructor Carpaccio, and Grandpa Randolph to Shindou.

If only I could have done that, things might not have turned out this way.

ㅤ

Yet, I did nothing.

I was too scared to do anything.

ㅤ

To hell with wanting to be a hero like the others.

That I, a cowardly scumbag who didn’t even have the resolve to fight, had the nerve to say such a thing.

I want to punch the me from just a little while ago.

I want to tell him to wake up.

I want to tell him to face reality instead of indulging in fantasies.

If I had done that, maybe things could have changed a little.

ㅤ

In contrast, Shindou is amazing.

Despite being blinded in one eye by an enemy who took the form of the girl he likes and witnessing the massacre of all his classmates right in front of him, he hasn’t lost his will to fight.

He went off to confront the dragon as if to avenge his friends.

That’s a real hero.

He’s nothing like a fake hero like me.

ㅤ

“Uh, ghh. . .!”

ㅤ

With a single-minded desire not to get involved in such a heroic battle, I crawled out from under the rubble.

It was good that I had trained, even if I was just a lowly slug.

ㅤ

And then, there were others besides me who were crawling out from under the rubble.

ㅤ

“W, What on earth. . .happened. . .”

“Ivy-san?!”

ㅤ

The one who emerged from the rubble was a beautiful blonde woman in armor.

It was Captain Ivy.

But her beauty was nowhere to be seen.

The wounds she received from being hit by Instructor Carpaccio. . .no, the zombie of Instructor Carpaccio, were horribly visible.

Her face was burnt and both her eyes were destroyed.

Though HP auto-recovery has healed her somewhat, she probably still can’t see.

ㅤ

“Are you okay?”

ㅤ

Dragging my aching body, I went over to Ivy-san and cast a healing spell.

But with my status and skill Lv, I can only provide a small amount of recovery.

I truly feel so powerless that it makes me want to cry.

ㅤ

“That voice. . .Kenji? I’m sorry, but can you tell me what’s happening?

For some reason, I don’t remember anything from the middle of the battle.”

ㅤ

As I started the healing spell, Ivy-san said that.

Ah, I see.

Ivy-san must have passed out from Instructor Carpaccio’s hit.

Given that she was hit so hard in the face, it’s not surprising that it’s like she had a severe blow to the head.

I briefly explained the current situation to Ivy-san.

The desperate reality that all the heroes and knights are almost wiped out, and only Shindou is left.

ㅤ

And the moment the explanation ended, something fell at breakneck speed between Shindou and the Dragon who were facing each other.

Looking at the direction from which it came. . .I was plunged into an even deeper pit of despair.

ㅤ

“Kenji, what was that sound just now. . .?”

“. . .Ivy-san, it seems we are in trouble.”

ㅤ

As I said this, filled with a sense of surrender, the worst enemy that had returned was also opening its mouth.

ㅤ

“Ho! It seems to be quite sorted out while I was playing!”

ㅤ

Garuda-san, who was blown away.

Just as ragged as Garuda-san were Warlock-san and Emma-chan.

The Demon Lord, on the other hand, was unscathed, laughing cheerfully.

It was despair.

It was nothing short of a sight of despair.

I was losing the will to resist.

ㅤ

“Demon Lord. . .!”

ㅤ

But even if my heart was shattered, it seemed that Shindou’s heart hadn’t broken yet, and he glared at the Demon Lord with a face full of hostility.

After briefly glancing at the three of them with a worried look, Shindou, apparently deciding that their lives were not in immediate danger, returned his gaze to the Demon Lord and asked.

ㅤ

“Demon Lord, there’s one thing I want to ask you. What did you do to Mamori?”

“Huh? Are you an acquaintance of Mamori?”

“Yes, I am.”

ㅤ

Shindou. . .I hate to break it to you when you’re all worked up, but that’s probably not Honjo-san.

Well, the one who’s controlling that Automata is probably Honjo-san.

The appraisal result said [Manufacturer Honjo・Mamori] after all.

ㅤ

“Ho! I’m surprised that she has an acquaintance.

But, I didn’t do anything to her. Because she looked strong, I just invited her to join the Demon Lord’s army.

Well, I did threaten her a little.”

“I knew it. . .! Because of you, Mamori had to. . .!”

ㅤ

Shindou. . .That’s probably not it either.

Honjo-san has a reason to resent us.

“That’s not all! You destroyed this city and killed innocent people! That’s unforgivable!

Demon Lord! I will defeat you!

I will avenge the people who died, and I will free Mamori!”

“Hahahaha! Very well! Bring it on! Hero!”

ㅤ

🔹𝐀𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬.𝐜𝐨𝐦 ― 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 “𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐩da𝐭𝐞𝐬” 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬🔹

And so, right before my eyes, the battle began, a battle in which the final hope was at stake.

An incredibly desperate fight with slim chances of winning. So desperate, it was laughable.

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